If you’re uncertain whether your Rockford residence has bad indoor air quality (IAQ), it possibly does.

We are indoors a lot. In fact, we’re indoors up to 90% of the time, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. And the air inside homes could be 2–5 times more contaminated than outdoors, which may create long-term health issues.

Most Common Origins of Unsatisfactory IAQ

We’ve made a list of the most ordinary sources of inferior IAQ, the issues they cause and how you can fix these indoor air pollutants. If you’re concerned about the air inside your home, we advise consulting with a expert like Temperature Doctors Heating & Cooling about which products are a good fit for your house.

Volatile Organic Compounds

Volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, are chemicals released by everyday household things.

They’re found in paint and stains as well as:

  • Furniture
  • Carpet
  • Building materials
  • Cleaning products
  • Cosmetics
  • Air fresheners
  • Candles

When these chemicals accumulate in your home, they can irritate your eyes, nose and throat. They may also lead to headaches and nausea. Regardless of whether your home is in a rural or industrial location, an EPA study found indoor levels of these pollutants can be 2–5 times higher than the air outside your home.

Always use the manufacturer’s guidelines when painting or cleaning. Unlatching a window can help odors dissipate faster.

Air purification systems can also help. This unit partners with your heating and cooling equipment to clean indoor air. When looking for a model, ensure it’s specifically designed to eliminate VOCs.

Dust and Pet Dander

Dust and pet dander can trigger health problems like asthma and allergies, especially when it continuously gets recirculated by your residence’s comfort system. While you can vacuum more regularly and get an improved air filter, an air filtration system could be a better solution.

This solution hooks to your comfort equipment to provide powerful filtration. Some models have hospital-level filtration for eliminating particles and bioaerosols.

Lingering Odors

New houses are closely sealed to boost energy efficiency. While this is fantastic for your energy expenses, it’s not ideal for your IAQ.

Stuffy odors can stick around for a greater amount of time as your home is pulling in less fresh air. Since keeping your windows open all the time isn’t an option, here are two ways you can make your indoor air smell cleaner.

An air purification system is installed in your ductwork to wipe out odors before they recirculate. Find one with a carbon filter and the ability to wipe out dangerous VOCs. These systems can also help keep your family healthy by getting rid of most bacteria and ordinary allergy triggers like pollen and mold spores.

A ventilation system removes musty indoor air and exchanges it with clean outdoor air. There are two types of systems (heat recovery and energy recovery), so check with our professionals for more information on which kind is ideal for your house.

Uneven Humidity

It’s essential your residence’s humidity stays even. Air that’s too humid can lead to mold, while dry air can cause respiratory concerns.

Our pros suggest 40–50% for ideal comfort. To keep yours steady, consider getting a whole-home humidifier or whole-home dehumidifier with your comfort unit.

Instead of having to lug a humidifier from room to room, this equipment delivers balanced humidity across your house.

Carbon Monoxide

Carbon monoxide is colorless gas you can’t smell. It’s a byproduct of insufficient combustion in fuel-burning appliances, like gas heating systems, water heaters or fireplaces.

It creates a serious health risk. In little levels, it can lead to flu-like sickness like headaches and nausea. It could be deadly in big concentrations.

We suggest yearly furnace maintenance to ensure your system is operating like it should. This job allows our technicians to spot troubles before they begin, including malfunctions that can cause carbon monoxide leaks.

The best approach to keep your house free of carbon monoxide is to put in detectors. These alarms should be on each floor close to bedrooms and living rooms.

Improve Your Home’s Air Quality with the Temperature Doctors Heating & Cooling Professionals

Know that your house has inferior air quality but not sure how to improve it? Or unsure which product is best for you? Give our approachable HVAC experts a call at (815) 914-6197 or contact us online now. With free estimates and pro support, we’ll help you locate the right option for your home and budget.